To be honest, I have been playing mobile games for quite some time. From "Snake" and "Sokoban" in the Saipan era, to "Thunderbolt" and "Prince of Persia" on the Java platform, and now to various high-definition masterpieces now, after playing all the way, the deepest feeling is - the land of mobile games is changing too fast. In the past, it was good if everyone could hold a mobile phone and play until they fell asleep. Nowadays, they are constantly fighting for picture quality, gameplay, and krypton gold system. Some games are more complicated than PC games.
To be honest, the current mobile game market is bustling on the surface, but there are not many games that people can actually play. It's either a one-stop process of drawing cards to earn money, or automatic combat and hanging up to collect food. The gameplay is becoming more and more homogeneous. Sometimes I look through the App Store and find it boring, so I just go back and play old games.
But recently I came across one that really stood out to me, called "The Wolf Is Coming". The name is quite straightforward, but the gameplay is actually quite interesting. You play a wolf and live among the wolves. From exploring the map to hunting and surviving, to developing skills and unlocking skins, the overall simulation path is a simulation of development, but it does not prescribe a dead end for you. You can develop your character and upgrade your abilities as you like, without the pressure of "must complete tasks".
I think this kind of design concept is quite rare in the current mobile game circle. Many games nowadays like to push players forward and give you tasks one by one, for fear that you will stop. But "Hungry Wolf" does not do this. It is more like giving you a sandbox to explore and try on your own, especially in the hunting mode, running the map to find prey, from mice and rabbits to foxes and raccoons, and challenging higher-level goals step by step. The immersion brought by that kind of freedom is more sincere than many games under the banner of "open world".
Speaking of this, we can actually see one direction in the development of mobile games in recent years - players have begun to value "choice" more. In the past, everyone liked the fast-food-style refreshing experience, but now more and more players want to have their own rhythm and path in the game. The key to whether a game can keep people playing is how much space it gives players. I think "The Wolf Is Coming" grasps this need quite well.
Moreover, this game takes the free route, does not engage in those fancy recharge routines, and uses time for growth. This is considered a breath of fresh air today. Thinking back to those stand-alone games I played in the Symbian era, it also had this pure feeling. There were not so many bindings and payments, and it was all about whether the game itself was fun or not.
Of course, the game is not without its flaws. For example, the picture texture is on the lighter side and the depth could be further polished. However, as an original domestic mobile game that can achieve this level, I think it deserves praise.
Over the years, watching mobile games transform from fragmented entertainment to a complete entertainment category, I feel quite emotional. In the past, we played games to "have something to do", but now playing games is more like "going to another world to live." How can I say that "The Wolf is Coming" can have this kind of awareness, which makes me, an old player, a little relieved. 😌
I hope that domestic mobile games can always have such sincere works, and don't always make players choose between "hard liver" and "strong krypton". Being able to speak through your works is the real way to survive in the long term. 🕹️